The Echota Cherokee tribe in Falkville will hold its annual festival Sept. 28. The festival will include dancing, food, demonstrators, vendors and more and will be open to the community. 

Sue Warren, who helps organize the event each year, said it is draws people from all over the United States. 

“It’s a Native American festival that our tribe has once a year, and people from all over the country come that are members of the tribe – but you don’t have to be a member of the tribe to come; everyone is welcome,” Warren said. 

The festival will include demonstrations of traditional skills, such as making arrowheads, and will welcome various Native American authors and vendors. The Alabama Wildlife Center will also bringing a rehabilitated hawk to be released. 

“The hawk has been in rehab, and it is quite an experience to see. Warren said. “We get to release these birds back into the wild, and that’s really cool. 

“People will be able to visit our gift shop and our museum here, and we also have an 1800s log cabin that people will be able to visit, and we have trails they can walk,” Warren added. “It’s just quite a few things going on.” 

The festival will also include traditional dancing and drumming. The tribe will welcome a hoop dancer from Texas during the festival. 

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“I love the drumming and the dancing – those are some of my favorite things,” Warren said. 

Although the festival is open to the community, it also has a strong heritage in the tribe. This is the 22nd year the tribe has held the festival in Falkville, sharing strong traditions with other tribes throughout the state and nation. 

“This is just something the natives have basically always done – have what they called a powwow,” Warren said. “It’s just a gathering – kind of like a family reunion. As the years go on, you just add more things to it. All tribes do them; they are all over the place all summer.” 

The festival will take place at 630 County Road 1281 in Falkville.